On the another day, Mum and I went home by taxi because it was late at night. We and the taxi driver got to chat a little bit as the journey was long. The topic – National Service.

The taxi driver was complaining about how his son turn bad during National Service. Well, not bad actually in my opinion. Well, maybe the son used to be a very obedient, thus the taxi driver, the father, not used to it.

His son “turned bad” in the following ways (The Taxi diver assume that National Service taught his son those things):

1. Learn how to smoke.

2. Always went out.

3. Learn how to spend money.

4. Learn how to drink beer.

Well, I might ended up in the same situation too. I might able to learn how to make more friends in NS, I might know how to drink beer in NS, I might learn how to spend money in NS, I might learn how to smoke in NS(though I don’t think I will ever like the smell of cigarette)

Sometimes, I feel that parent must learn how to let go. I know, parent’s kids will always remain as a kids to the parents no matter how old the kids were. But parents should know that it is part of their child growing up and should put too much restriction on their child especially when the kid had grown up.

For me, I got restriction because of my family. I got my family duty to do. It’s part of my duty to play a part in the family. But because of this, I don’t really get the chance to interact with other people outside my house. This made me a very introvert person.

As much as I want to interact with other people in real life, I just find it difficult to do so. I just simply don’t know how to.

Had been reading Mr. Dew’s National Service posts. From Medical Check up to ORD left 5 months plus away. I enjoy reading army and National Service related stuff. I believe that National Service can change my life. I want, and need to get out of this comfort zone. I trust that National Service will able to teach me skill that I am not equip now, for example: social skills.

I think those social skills that I will equip in National service will labeled as “Bad” by my parents. But I believe that it will help me with my offline social network.

7 Comments:

Don't think army will change a person much. First few months will turn the man into one who talks about nothing but BMT, agreed.

In the order listed above:

1. I learnt how to smoke after I graduated from polytechnic. Some of my friends started even when they were in secondary school (some Primary School, if you believe them)

2. I'm going out very often now. At the expense of time of course - no time for school work, studies, etc... Clubbing especially. A sinful fun! :-D

2a. And that's where you can possibly pick up smoking.

3. In order to do no. 1 and 2, you would have to spend money. In fact, once you step out of the house, you will have to spend. Unless you step out of the house TO WORK.

4. Even if you don't do number 2. very often (not to mention, enter NS), you will have the chance to drink at Weddings. You can even learn to drink beer yourself by walking into any 7-11 and buy your own bear even if you're underage. Police aren't everywhere!

So, you can start behaving like an ORD-ed Bad-Boy NS men anytime! Just remember to work the abs. ;)

But things like smoking, a couple of my friends actually quit it during army. Those people in my bunk who smokes... When they're pretty lonely because if you come into my platoon, you'll be smoking alone, everyone else quitted.

We're a busy platoon and there really is no time to smoke, plus cigarettes are expensive and those guys just stop in the end.

To me, the best asset I gain in army is friends, a gained a lot of friends in fact. I listen to a lot of their experiences and think it's good exposure. ;)

Hope you'll find your NS life fulfiling, the commanders may suck like shit but your friends can at least have a common enemy to share and hate together. But hey, isn't life this way? Common enemy brings people together.

I guess it really depends on your platoon and the friends you mix with.

My platoon deals with computers and we tend to be really busy. So my friends just quit due too being too busy. And my friend realize that he didn't need to smoke to destress himself, what he really need is someone to talk crap with. And when you're smoking, no one wants to talk with you, hahaa...

Try to be nice to your peers. I always call and ask if they want some food and I can buy in for them. Just be nice and always be true to yourself and don't be a hypocritic. You'll find friends. ;)